vegetate

as in to relax
to spend time doing things that do not require much thought or effort; to be very lazy or inactive I just spent the weekend vegetating at home. I'm worried that after I retire I'll just sit at home, watch TV, and vegetate.

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of vegetate About 30 minutes later, rescuers made voice contact with Blessing but were unable to reach him until about midnight, due to the steep and thickly vegetated terrain, Fish and Game said. Nick Stoico, BostonGlobe.com, 17 July 2023 All the turtles bought on impulse, vegetating in plastic lagoons. Anne Fadiman, Harper’s Magazine , 10 Feb. 2023 Why not vegetate? Jon Michail, Forbes, 4 Oct. 2022 Spores can also persist indefinitely in contaminated soil and may vegetate in grazeland, which could further spread the infection among South Dakota’s cattle. From Usa Today Network and Wire Reports, USA TODAY, 29 Sep. 2022 See All Example Sentences for vegetate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vegetate
Verb
  • The lounge is outfitted with a luxurious sofa to relax in.
    Kimberley Mok, Travel + Leisure, 3 June 2025
  • Tusk had promised to relax both bans, but they are supported by some of the more socially conservative lawmakers propping up his government, and the threat of a presidential veto likely renders any efforts at persuasion futile.
    Rob Picheta, CNN Money, 2 June 2025
Verb
  • In the first chapter, blue morning light rests over waves crashing against a shoreline, and off into the distance, Yates rides a jet ski, almost comically unbothered by the chop of the sea.
    Lawrence Burney, Pitchfork, 28 May 2025
  • Airmen laid to rest More than 200 people honored Darrigan on Saturday in Wappingers Falls, some waving flags from the sidewalk during the procession to the church, others saluting him at a graveside ceremony under cloudy skies.
    CBS News, CBS News, 26 May 2025
Verb
  • Journalists who disagree with Trump have been called out by name and attacked in an effort to chill speech and discourage opposition.
    John A. Ragosta, Baltimore Sun, 27 May 2025
  • According to the brand, the cooler can hold up to 40 cans and keep them chilled for up to 12 hours.
    Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 26 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Vegetate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vegetate. Accessed 6 Jun. 2025.

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